


The King and His Lover

by Ryu_Reikai_Akuma



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mild D/s, Politics, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Uncle/Nephew Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma/pseuds/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the very beginning to the very end, Thorin and Kili’s relationship defied expectations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The King and His Lover

**Author's Note:**

> It's a special day for me and it's been a surprisingly good day, too, so here's something I hope you'll enjoy!
> 
> PS: I'm not entirely sure about the D/s tag. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you!

Thorin Oakenshield was arguably one of the greatest kings of Erebor. He was most well-known for his success in reclaiming Erebor from the dragon Smaug and his role in leading dwarfs, elves, and men against goblin army during the Battle of the Five Armies. However, these were merely a few of his accomplishments. Books, songs, and stories recorded his achievements, starting from the establishment of the new dwarf Settlement in Ered Luin to his victory in the Battle of Azanulbizar to his reign in Ered Luin and to his eventual return to Erebor. His life story was often likened to a hero and had inspired many tales, further increasing his popularity. Dwarfs, elves, and men alike revered him.

Known as a warrior king, Thorin was feared by his enemies. His skills in wielding swords and axes were famous. It was often retold that his company of thirteen with him at the helm had managed to push back goblin army during the Battle of the Five Armies. His sword, the Orcrist, was said to glow in the darkness brought upon by the dark army, scaring goblins away and leading the way for the Alliance of dwarfs, men, and elves to victory. The shield he had procured during the Battle of Azalnubizar was his most famous weapon, from which he had gained the name Oakenshield. Though only made of oak wood and reinforced with some metal, the shield was able to protect him in various battles. After it was broken during his fight with Azog in the Battle of the Five Armies, it was restored with the help of Gandalf. Now, the shield and the Orcrist were kept in the closely guarded vault of Erebor. Once every year, during the anniversary of the Battle of the Five Armies, they were worn by Thorin as a reminder to his people and his allies of what they had achieved and what they had lost to achieve it and as a warning to potential enemies of the strength of his alliance.

To his people, Thorin was less feared and more admired. Immediately after he came to power, he began the rebuilding process of Erebor and the city of Dale to provide housing for his people. The desolated land was revitalized with the help of the elves, a move praised by many as it signified the end of the old conflict between the two races. Trading routes were reopened and closely guarded against orcs and goblins, allowing merchants, visitors, as well as exiled dwarfs to come to Erebor. Within a few years he had managed to restore Erebor to its former glory and then surpassed it. The reminders of the previous occupation by Smaug and the Battle of Five Armies were found only in monuments and statues depicting the difficult decades and the fateful day when the alliance of dwarfs, men, and elves defeated the goblin army. Once again, lords and kings came to Erebor to pay their homage, offer their alliances, and seek the king’s council. All of them, regardless of race and old prejudices, were welcomed. All of them returned to their people with praises for Thorin. The wise King under the Mountain, they called him as they retold the wealth of his kingdom, the prosperity of his people, the beauty of the Arkenstone, and his words of wisdom.

Thorin was largely loved. His decisions were never questioned and nearly every facet of his life, people sought to emulate. Very quickly after the beginning of his reign, he gained the loyalty of his subjects and allies. However, when Thorin began to introduce Kili not as his sister-son but as his unofficial royal consort, there was an uproar. While it was common in royal families to take relatives as lovers and spouses, it was very unusual, and even unheard of, to take a same sex lover. People protested, demanding their king to choose a more conventional consort, preferably a dame who could carry his family name, inciting Thorin’s wrath. There was no evidence of it as Durin’s Folks kept their affairs very private, but it was believed that if not for his relatives’ requests to distance himself from the debate, Thorin would have strong words to say to his subjects, words which could well ignite anger and discontent in the newly rebuilt kingdom.

In the absence of the king and his lover’s defense, their close friends, the members of Thorin’s Company, many of whom were now famed lords and respected figures of the public immediately rose to their defense, arguing that Thorin deserved happiness wherever he found it. Fili showed his support by taking more prominent role in politic, solidifying his position as the crown prince and eliminating the chief concern in the protest against Thorin and Kili’s relationship: the need for an heir. The debates went on for a long time with people taking sides while the couple in question tried to remain steadfast. Acceptance was gradual but eventually Kili was given the same honor and privileges usually reserved for royal consorts, although they never married. In official events, he sat and walked beside Thorin instead of behind him. There was still some dissension, but everyone understood that Thorin and Kili had made up their minds. Kili came to be vastly known as Thorin’s most beloved, the one he chose over tradition and legacy.

The unusual relationship divided public’s perception of Kili. He had always been adored, being the youngest of the remaining Durin’s Folks, but some began to view him with derision, seeing him as a cause of the end of the line of succession. This hatred was seemingly justified as Kili was most often seen training with common soldiers or hunting or simply wandering around Erebor and Dale. Once in a while, he would attend important events alone to represent his family. It was generally agreed, even by those who supported him, that he was too immature for the station his birth placed him at. Many considered his role in the politics of Erebor and Middle Earth to be insignificant and, if he was considered important, it was mainly because of his relationship with Thorin. However, his true role in politic was far deeper than what met the public’s eyes.

Thorin’s most trusted advisors quietly spoke of the true purpose of Kili’s seemingly aimless wandering: to collect information from those usually overlooked by politicians. Many dwarfs of Erebor saw him as a pleasant and generous friend, contrasting with mostly distant royal family, and there were numerous stories of commoners sharing drinks and songs with him in little taverns which boasted of low prices rather than high quality. Little did they know that he brought what he saw and heard directly to the king. With him as the extension of the king’s ears and eyes, policies and decisions were made to include point of views other lords might ignore. Not a single decision or policy would pass without Thorin first hearing Kili’s thoughts on it. His opinions on various matters were held with the same regard as Thorin’s official council, though he was rarely seen in council meetings. He was present in Thorin’s words, in information he wouldn’t otherwise know without leaving his palace the way Kili often did, in policies he made in considerations of views many other advisors were ignorant of. Thus, while his name was rarely mentioned in official documents and his role mostly unknown, Kili became indispensable to Erebor and, most of all, to Thorin.

It was said that when Kili traveled away from home, ravens were seen flying from the Lonely Mountain, following him. In these occasions, Thorin was quieter, smiles and laughter very rarely gracing him. His friends and relatives would keep him company, but it was clear that without Kili, nothing truly warm the King under the Mountain. There was no song sung, no dance danced, no feast celebrated. The green marbles of his mountain seemed to be colder, the torches lighting his halls dimmer. Even the Arkenstone seemed to lose some of its shine. While Thorin still performed his duties well, it was clear, especially to those close to him, that while his mind was present, his heart was elsewhere. He retreated from his people once his work was finished. His room was abandoned while he stayed instead in a humble chamber near the peak of the Lonely Mountain where his ravens would come to report the progress of Kili’s travel and he lost himself in his longing for his beloved.

 _Don't go anywhere without me._  
_Let nothing happen in the sky apart from me,_  
_or on the ground, in this world or that world,_  
_without my being in its happening._  
_Vision, see nothing I don't see._  
_Language, say nothing._  
_The way the night knows itself with the moon,_  
_be that with me. Be the rose_  
_nearest to the thorn that I am._

When Kili returned to a low fanfare. People bowed and cheered when he passed them. Inside the mountain, it was more of the same, followed by a discussion with the king’s council of the results of his travels. It seemed to be ordinary returns from political campaigns, though perhaps with slightly more importance seeing as Kili is both a prince and the king’s lover. It was dreary and impersonal, hardly stuff to speak of for too long except, perhaps, to discuss the consequences it brought. But, what people didn’t see, the Lonely Mountain closely observed. Those close to Thorin saw the subtle changes. Thorin and Kili never publicly displayed their affection to each other, but it was plain to see in the melting of a king’s stony heart and the warming of his winter eyes. As happiness returned to the king, the gloom which had enveloped the mountain was lifted and Erebor could breathe again. Songs echoed in chambers and halls and the forge roared and brought warmth to the most hidden corners and life came back to Erebor, as only when the heart of the mountain and the heart of the mountain king were in the same place was Erebor complete.

The relationship between the king and his beloved was kept private. Aside from publicly addressing Kili as an equivalent of his consort, Thorin never openly showed his affection to Kili and Kili surprisingly reined his usually open expressions. Curious eyes followed them whenever they were seen together, eager to catch any hint of the lover Thorin was, and tales were spun of his gentler side that no one but Kili had seen. However, speculations were all people had, for what Thorin and Kili had was carefully kept behind the walls of the royal chambers, away from any witness. Almost no one doubted the sincerity of their feelings, however, for although they didn’t see what was hidden safely behind the stone walls, they still recognized love.

Everyone dons a mask before the world, but no one ever more so that those who live under the public’s ever watchful eyes. So, at night, when their attendants had been dismissed, the king and the prince disappeared. Crown, silk robes, and pride were abandoned. There was no need for pretense, diplomacy, and formality in these private times, no expectation beyond their duties to be true to their hearts. And what a truth their hearts revealed! Kili who had always worn his heart on his sleeve but was forced to hold back in public could now express his affection to his heart’s content, touching and kissing and teasing and confessing until Thorin had had enough and silenced him by returning his love. Thorin, on the other hand, was always more reserved, for he was raised a warrior king but not a lover. It took some coaxing (and sometimes a goblet or two of wine) for him to display the deep affection clearly seen in his eyes. His touches were tender, a far cry from the violence he was capable of delivering, and, though normally a dwarf of little words, he weaved them beautifully as he poured out the deepest part of his heart, the secret section of his mind, the hidden core of his soul; helplessly handing himself, his true self, to Kili, his One. Kili would listen, unusually attentive and quiet, as he knew this honest raw emotion was to cherish and to him there was no greater joy than hearing the words roll out of the king’s own tongue and then stealing the sweetness of his lovely words with kisses.

 _Throne of my lonely niche, my wealth, my love, my moonlight._  
_My most sincere friend, my confidant, my very existence, my Prince, my one and only love._  
_The most beautiful among the beautiful_  
_My springtime, my merry faced love, my daytime, my sweetheart, laughing leaf_  
_My plants, my sweet, my rose, the one only who does not distress me in this world_

There were assumptions, if not expectations, of what their relationship should be. Thorin was, naturally, assumed to lead, to show and teach the delicate art of love. No one thought Kili would submit as expected of him traditionally, but they assumed he was the difficult but eager lover who always tested Thorin’s limits. Their relationship was thought to be turbulent, full of arguments and negotiations, fits of rage followed by sweet reconciliations. Challenge and opposite attraction were thought to be what kept them together, for how else could two characters so different last as lovers?

But, the truth was there were only a few arguments, for things fell together naturally, and if they fought, the misunderstandings were quickly resolved. The moment they recognized their mutual attraction, they knew precisely their roles in each other’s life. Kili had always had a talent for cheering Thorin and chasing away the ghosts of the past which so often came to haunt him. It was a known fact that Thorin was never happier when he was near him. Kili, it seemed, knew many ways to distract Thorin and make him laugh, to make him forget the hardships of a king for a while, to make him stop and enjoy fleeting moments of happiness. However, Kili was more than just a jester or an entertainer. He was able to be serious when it was required, to provide advices for any of Thorin’s troubles. He gave comfort and safety when it wasn’t laughter which was required, but understanding and patience instead. He provided reassurance when there was doubt, when past mistakes were brought up and fear of repeat reared its head. Others barely ever saw this more mature side of him, of course, and thus many still held him at contempt, believing that he was a terrible match for Thorin. Kili showed no sign of caring of this, always refusing when occasionally Thorin asked to show others why he chose him as a lover, finding amusement rather than offense in the misunderstanding. Thorin would forever be older and his age had provided him knowledge and experience Kili had only started to glimpse, but it didn’t mean Kili was inferior to him, nor did it mean that he let age difference separate them. After all, if there was one thing Durin’s Folks were well-known for, it was their steely determination and Kili had plenty when it came to Thorin.

It wasn’t a secret that for decades Kili had craved and fought for Thorin’s approval, a source of amusement to those who saw him being Thorin’s devoted shadow. At first, he had been motivated by a need for recognition, but it grew into desire for affection. He had been relentless in his pursuit, risking anger to show his feelings and pushing his limits to see smiles. Reprimands had only made him more resilient. He had always seen, he often claimed when his lover asked, the mutual longing in Thorin’s eyes, hidden. He had only sought to uncover it, he said proudly. He had only wanted Thorin to be honest as the reward was well worth the risk. He was eventually proven correct, of course, and once Thorin admitted to his own yearning for Kili’s heart, he never looked back. Thus, perhaps it wasn’t entirely surprising to see Kili stay beside Thorin unfalteringly. However, it might require some stretch of imagination to see him playing his part in his relationship with Thorin. It might surprise some to see how he actually led the king.

 _Through love all that is bitter will sweet_  
_Through love all that is copper will be gold._  
_Through love all dregs will turn to purest wine_  
_Through love all pain will turn to medicine._  
_Through love the dead will all become alive._  
_Through love the king will turn into a slave!_

Thorin had always had a weakness for Kili. It was a well-known fact that he had a favorite among his sister-sons. People weren’t blind to how lenient he was to his troublemaker nephew, how he rarely met Kili’s demands and requests with refusals. This favoritism was made even more obvious when he took Kili as a lover. But, how many thought he would submit to Kili? Thorin was, after all, known for his pride. Surely, no matter how much he loved Kili (and he loved him so, indeed,) this pride would rear its head and he would seek to dominate.

Yet, that was exactly what happened. Behind the thick walls of their chambers, far from the keen eyes of Erebor, Thorin was a king no more. Behind closed doors he dressed Kili in the finest clothes fit for the richest of kings and jewelries made of precious gems found in the deepest mines of Middle Earth. On their bed Kili would lay, laughing as Thorin knelt beside him and worshiped him with fingers and lips and words. When Kili sat on a gold divan, Thorin would sit on the floor, looking up to him with adoration. While Kili was dressed in silk and accessorized with mithril and gems, Thorin had only plain cloth over his groin for modesty. At Kili’s whimsical commands, he fed him, served him wine, massaged him, sang, played harp, and read poems for him. His cheeks flushed with pride at Kili’s delighted laugh. Thorin was familiar with compliments and awards, but there was something special in the way Kili’s eyes light up for him, in the way his lips curled into tender smiles no one had seen but him. Over the course of their relationship, he began to understand why Kili sought his approval, for there were only a few things that could come close to the pleasure of making his beloved happy. True to the nature of dwarfs, Thorin was greedy for it and obeyed every order, or even insinuation, eagerly. The only hints of his demand were in the way he set Kili on top of him and in the way he dug his fingers on Kili’s hips while he took pleasure from his body at his leisure. He loved watching Kili, he once confessed in the throes of passion. He loved knowing that he had brought Kili to bliss, he admitted. Usually demanding and commanding, this humble servitude was a sign of his devotion and a way for him to shower Kili with his love. Even when Kili teased, demanding him to hold back his peak until Kili saw it fit for him to find release, Thorin never complained. Oh, he groaned and squirmed, but he never argued, leaving it to Kili to decide when and how he would find bliss. On many nights Thorin spent himself deep inside Kili while moaning his love helplessly into Kili’s sweet plundering mouth, giving himself to the very essence. Even on nights he was too exhausted for lust, he surrendered himself in words and gesture, allowing his beloved to enter his heart where no one but him would ever reside. At the end of each night, under the cover of darkness and blanketed by Kili’s warmth, he reaffirmed his love over and over until his voice was hoarse and his eyes heavy and his skin tingled with the whispers of Kili’s answers.

Theirs wasn’t a conventional relationship in any way. There would always be doubt cast their way. Some would always hold ill thoughts for their refusal to meet people’s demands. However, none of these swayed them. If anything, as time went by, as Thorin’s hair grew grey and Kili’s face roughened by age, they remained by each other’s side. No ceremony or law bound them but their bond was as strong as the mountain, as loving as the sun, as endless as the sky. For centuries, even long after the reign of Thorin, people across Middle Earth spoke of Erebor’s wealth, of the legendary feat of reviving what had been thought dead; politicians marveled at the new peace upon the once desolate land, the policies which made it realized; scholars spoke of the knowledge and history stored in the mountain’s vast library, the science and knowledge developed by the brilliant minds of the race of dwarfs; and bards wrote of the rare sights in the endless, cold, dark halls in the Lonely Mountain, sights more precious than the wealth of Erebor: the warm gaze, the discreet caresses, and the private smiles shared by the Mountain King and his lover.

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit I laughed a bit when I wrote "winter eyes". It's silly but I love it so I decided to keep it. Anyway, the poems aren't mine. I was in a mood for poetries so I inserted some that I like. The first poem is an excerpt from Rumi's poem titled [In the Arc of Your Mallet](http://www.rumi.org.uk/love_poems.html#InTheArcOfYourMallet). The second one is an excerpt of [a poem by an Ottoman Sultan for his wife](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxelana#Life_with_the_Sultan) because, yes, it is possible to be feared by your enemies and be completely in love with your spouse at the same time. I made a tiny change from Sultan to Prince (and cut the mentions of the cities) but otherwise it's the same. The last one is [an untitled poem](http://www.rumi.org.uk/passion.htm) by Rumi. He's my favorite poet, can you tell?
> 
> Visit me on [tumblr](http://demonessryu.tumblr.com/) to say hi, talk about thorinkili, or buy what’s left of my soul with photo/gif sets/arts of thorinkili.


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